TREATING OF TITANIUM,

ALUMINIUM AND LIGHTWEIGHT ALLOYS

special processes

ALLOY EVOLUTION

Heat treatment of alpha-beta titanium alloys

SERVICE

High-temperature solution treatments, followed by low-temperature tempering treatments (the so-called “ageing” process), can enhance the mechanical properties of alloys, such as titanium and aluminium, by 35% compared with annealing processes.

STANDARD

The solution-treatment temperature can range from 900°C used for plates to 950°C used for rounded and very thick parts. Moreover, the treatment is carried out in a protective environment. Some noble gaseous elements, like argon, are used in order to prevent both the formation of oxide compounds on the component surface and the so-called “Alpha case”.

VALUE

Our treatments are able to meet the overall requirements of the most prominent companies in the Italian industry and sport markets, thanks to the extremely rapid cooling rate – immersion in cooling tanks only lasts 4,6” – our equipment is able to reach in order to ensure the solution is effective.

COOLING

We take up the challenge of fast performance

The cooling process is performed by using resolving liquids (such as water or salt water) in tanks agitated and kept at constant temperatures. Such conditions ensure the process to be reproducible. If the parts are too thick, the internal mechanical properties differ from those at the surface. Therefore the component design should avoid using too many metal layers. The passage of the component from the furnace to the solution bath should be as rapid as possible in order to retain the mechanical properties. Standard specifications in this regard, such as the AMS 2801B, refer to six seconds as the maximum time for lower thicknesses.

ADVANTAGES

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES

The ageing temperature ranges from 425°C to 650°C over a period of time that varies from 4 to 8 hours. Ageing is a precipitation hardening process and is thus based on specific ageing time and temperature. The maximum mechanical properties of tensile and yield strength, to the detriment of elongation, occur at a temperature of 500°C.